Our New Friends

All I can say about last night is WOW!
We spent from 7pm until 10pm with Julio and Lilliana from Chile' as well as Melody, their Interpreter. They were absolutely wonderful, dinner was fabulous and the fellowship was even better.

Lilliana and Julio are from Chile', around the Santiago area. Julio has been a Pastor all of his life, and Lilliana has been his loving wife and mother to 4 kids. They both have studied Psychology as well and are so intelligent when it comes to so many things. They both are so full of love and life and were absolutely amazing to speak to. They will be going on a 30 day Mission to Cuba, 30 days is all that is allowed in Cuba and one must enter on a Religious Visa. They have been to Cuba before, many times, and have always met resistance from the Government when it comes to Christian teachings there.

Their Interpreter Melody was also wonderful. She was originally from Texas, and met her husband in Bible college. She and her hubby were missionaries to Chile' where she learned fluent Spanish and translating as well as Chilean life and customs. She said that 4 years ago she lost her wonderful hubby to brain cancer, and felt that her career as a Missionary was over, she just did not feel she could return to Chile' without him and settled in Virginia to be near their children. The Lord had other plans for her and she has now begun translating for the Spanish and Chilean missionaries that come to the States, often times having them live with her in her home. What an amazing bond they have with one another. She travels all over the US with the different missionaries and translates for them....what fun that would be!

Curtis and I were nervous to have them over. After a lot of things we have dealt with when it comes to 'Christians' Whose Christian was always better than ours... I was ready to put up a wall on bringing someone I didn't know into my home. I am so glad that God had other plans, they taught us so much last night. They have renewed my Faith when it comes to a Church family and had amazing insight into why I feel the way I feel about 'church' in general...a very good observations from them as well as Dr. B when it comes to my non-conformity to practical churches. It helped Curtis see as well that the Church we found may actually be the one for us to let go and trust God and seek membership....we shall see where it leads.

One thing I have always struggled with is sharing my 'Testimony'. When someone asks you about that, what do they want to hear??
Curtis has stated that he is even more frustrated by that question since he really has never had a 'ding dong I am God conversation with the Lord'. Has anyone else out there ever had that question?

We both know we believe, are young in our faith and do not have a tremendous working knowledge of the Bible. We also know that we have a deep spiritual faith in God, but not necessarily in man and the Church. Julio explained it well by reminding us that every church has good and bad people and people who technically interpret the Bible in their own way, but if we Pray, God will show us the correct was to live etc.

Please, post your thoughts and let me know.
All in all, it was an amazing night! I will post the photos as soon as I get them off the camera!

Nervous Excitement

I am excited and nervous all at once. Tonight we are hosting a Missionary couple and their translator for dinner at our house. The couple are from Chile' and will be serving a Mission in Cuba. We are excited to have them here, but nervous since they do not speak English and we do not speak Spanish.....Amy, can you fly here tonight and help out??? :-) They will have a gal with them, but it would be easier if we could speak to them clearly.
I will post later to let you know how it goes.
Demi made a picture for them of our house, and all of us with a Thank you note for them being a visitor at our house...very cute.

My Weekend Thus Far

Our week has been busy as ever. After our usual Tuesday B-ball practice we had Wednesday AWANA's and Thursday B-ball practice and Friday Cheer practice. We were able to go Friday evening over to the house of some old friends Gary and Dee and their boys Grant and Garrett. We had a wonderful dinner of Nachos and visited and the kids played. it was a blast...THANK YOU!!

Today was Saturday games times 2 and 2 cheer Performances. I am so bad that I have not taken my camera yet...Naugty mommy! But I will this next weekend since it is the last game for the boys and the last performace for the girls in February. I am lucky enough that games and performace times will work out so that I can see ALL my kids events as this next week instead of running from here to there to see at least 1 ball game and cheer performance. :-P

I have several families getting ready to travel...so exciting as I am anxious to see the kids come home and blossom!!! I love it! Saw some photos of some of the kids that have come home recently...the kids are pudging up and looking happy~~does my heart good on the bad days!

Well, so much for my exciting life so far this weekend. I think I am going to watch a movie with the kids "The Game Plan" with the Rock and that cute little Curly haired girl that Demi Loves...Should be fun. Then we will be off to bed for Chruch tomorrow since we have to there a little early since Kai and Demi decided they want to be in the Kids Choir.....Oy Vey....hehe

The Haiti Lady Has Left The Building....Kinda......

It has been a while and I needed to post for several reasons....1.To give Ange something to read at 4am 2.To get some things off my chesticles (what Demi calls it) 3.Just to let people know some things, so here it goes.

I have been in an up and down cycle lately with my life. I have been having good things and bad things happen to me lately and they were all pointing to one decision I needed to make. I am one of those people that the good Lord needs to hit me with the proverbial Spritual 2x4 in order for me to believe that I am indeed receiving the answer I was (or possibly wasn't) looking for.

I have worked in adoption for about 9 years...since Hunter was a baby. I have seen so many families united during that time that it makes me smile to think about each child that is now home safe and sound and how many others were able to come to the orphanage when the ones leaving made room for 'just one more'. I have had so many wonderful experiences with the families...agonizing, rejoicing, the frustration and the final..."ah, thank ya Lord we made it!" I have had a few families that have been difficult, but they are over shadowed by the good ones.

Adoption brings out the best and worst in a person. To trust someone with something so large with nothing but Faith is a big thing. Most of the families start this process and do not know me, my situation, my heart or desire for the children of Haiti....if they really ask, they will know very soon into our relationship.

I advocate for the families and the children. I live the process with the families...I do not sleep well, I cry, laugh and enjoy, feel the frustration of it all...several families at a time. It is such a part of my life that my family gets to know the names of the children waiting to come home and rejoices as well when good news comes.
Sometimes though, when things go wrong, I am the one blamed for it. This puts me in a hard spot you see; I have always had a HARD time when people believe that I am someone or something that I am not...wether it be at fault when I am not, a non-Chrisitan, a Liar, a Mis-Leader....that hurts my soul very deeply.

I go into each process with each family knowing that I want give them the hope that I KNOW will show itself in God's timing...not ours. When that hope doesn't show up in the families timing, I become a liar or misleader....I MUST prove to them that I am not those things, that things are NOT in my control, things are NOT my fault....But I cannot prove that to them...I cannot and should not have to prove to people anymore who I am. I am 36 years old and KNOW the things I have done with my life, who I am and what I believe. Therefore, I have decided to let go.

I have asked God for quite a while where I should go and what I should do. I never actually planned on being called to the world of adoption, but I was...Thank God for wonderful prayers that I never requested!!!
I have tired of trying to explain myself, processes which I have no control, prove myself to people I cannot and frankly...to go thru the adoption processes of joy, sadness and frustration over and over and over again with so many people at one time.

I have given my 2 weeks at my current agency....I will finish my families thru the other agency and see them to completion-I could NEVER leave them, even the ones that do not really like me :-) I MUST show them the HOPE that really is there. It has taken a lot to show me that this is what needs to be done, and I have peace about leaving.
I know that I am not done 100% You never are with Haiti if it touches your soul as it has mine and my family. I will do Independent Consult when asked by the Orphanage, I will participate on Mission trips in the future and may even lead a couple (scary I know... hehe) I am 'mostly' done with the world of adoption as a Program Coordinator, and LOVE the time I had with my families (most of whom I am still dearly friends with and respect greatly!).
I AM and will ALWAYS be The Haiti Lady.... but....The Agency Haiti Lady has left the building!

Providence Ministries.....

Please stop by the Providence Ministries blog here listed below. Find a way to pray for Marlene (and Marcia) as you see Marlene's sons beautiful face and read about her loss....

http://providenceinhaiti.blogspot.com/

May the Lord Bless and keep Marlene and all the Mothers, Fathers and Children of Haiti.

Lord Give Me a Sign

Artist: DMX
Song: Lord Give Me A Sign

Lyrics :

LOVE this song. DMX is NOT the most righteous man...but here he speaks an amazing truth!


[Intro:]
Yeah..Uh
In the name of Jesus
(thats right)
No weapon formed against me shall prosper
(preach)
And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn
(preach)
(Lord give me a sign)
For this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
(preach)
and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
(preach)
Amen

[Verse 1]
Lord Give me a Sign!
I really need to talk to you Lord
Since the last time we talked the walk has been hard
Now I know you havent left me
But I feel like I'm alone
Im a big boy now but I'm still not grown
And Im still goin threw it
Pain and the hurt
Soaking up trouble like rain in the dirt
And I know!
Only I can stop the rain
Wit just the mention of my saviors name
IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
Devil I rebuke you for what I go threw
And tryin make me do what I used to
But all that stops right here
As long as the Lords in my life I will have no fear
I will know no pain from the light to the dark
I will show no shame spit it right from the heart
Cuz its right from the start
But you held me down
And Aaint nothin they can tell me now
Lord give me a sign!

[Hook:]
Let me know whats on your mind
Let me know what I'm gone find
Its all the time
Show me how to teach the mind
Show me how to reach the blind
Lord give me a sign!

Show me what I gots to do
To bring me closer to you
Cuz I'm gonna go through
What ever you want me to
Just let me know what to do
Lord give me a sign!

[Verse 2:]
Please show me sometin
Im tired of talkin to him
Knowin he frontin
Cryin bout life aint nuttin
But you either be the one mad cuz you trapped, or the one huntin
Trapped in your own mind waitin on the Lord
Or huntin wit the word that cuts like a sword
The spoken word is stronger than the strongest man
Carries the whole world like the strongest hand
Through the trials and tribulations you neva let us down
JESUS!
I know your here with us now
JESUS!
I know your still wit us now
Keep it real wit us now
I wanna feel show me how
Let me take your hand, guide me
Ill walk slow but stay right beside me
Devil's tryna find me
Hide me, hold up I take that back
Protect me and give me the strength to fight back!

[Hook:]
Let me know whats on your mind
Let me know what I'm gone find
Its all the time
Show me how to teach the mind
Show me how to reach the blind
Lord give me a sign!

Show me what I gots to do
To bring me closer to you
Cuz I'm gonna go through
What ever you want me to
Just let me know what to do
Lord give me a sign!

[Verse 3:]
Life or death
Live or die
I will never live a lie
Im goin there cuz I try
I wont quit until I die
Im gone make it wrong or right
Make it through the darkest night
When the morning comes you'll see
All I have is God in me
(Lord give me a sign!)

[Outro:]
No weapon formed against me shall prosper
For this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
In the name of jesus
Lord give me a sign
Amen

Eske Ou Manje? Ou Vle Manje Teh? (Are you hungry? Do you want to eat Dirt?)

Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt
By JONATHAN M. KATZ – Jan 29, 2008

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.

The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places like Cite Soleil, the oceanside slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.

"When my mother does not cook anything, I have to eat them three times a day," Charlene said. Her baby, named Woodson, lay still across her lap, looking even thinner than the slim 6 pounds 3 ounces he weighed at birth.

Though she likes their buttery, salty taste, Charlene said the cookies also give her stomach pains. "When I nurse, the baby sometimes seems colicky too," she said.

Food prices around the world have spiked because of higher oil prices, needed for fertilizer, irrigation and transportation. Prices for basic ingredients such as corn and wheat are also up sharply, and the increasing global demand for biofuels is pressuring food markets as well.

The problem is particularly dire in the Caribbean, where island nations depend on imports and food prices are up 40 percent in places.

The global price hikes, together with floods and crop damage from the 2007 hurricane season, prompted the U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency to declare states of emergency in Haiti and several other Caribbean countries. Caribbean leaders held an emergency summit in December to discuss cutting food taxes and creating large regional farms to reduce dependence on imports.

At the market in the La Saline slum, two cups of rice now sell for 60 cents, up 10 cents from December and 50 percent from a year ago. Beans, condensed milk and fruit have gone up at a similar rate, and even the price of the edible clay has risen over the past year by almost $1.50. Dirt to make 100 cookies now costs $5, the cookie makers say.

Still, at about 5 cents apiece, the cookies are a bargain compared to food staples. About 80 percent of people in Haiti live on less than $2 a day and a tiny elite controls the economy.

Merchants truck the dirt from the central town of Hinche to the La Saline market, a maze of tables of vegetables and meat swarming with flies. Women buy the dirt, then process it into mud cookies in places such as Fort Dimanche, a nearby shanty town.

Carrying buckets of dirt and water up ladders to the roof of the former prison for which the slum is named, they strain out rocks and clumps on a sheet, and stir in shortening and salt. Then they pat the mixture into mud cookies and leave them to dry under the scorching sun.

The finished cookies are carried in buckets to markets or sold on the streets.

A reporter sampling a cookie found that it had a smooth consistency and sucked all the moisture out of the mouth as soon as it touched the tongue. For hours, an unpleasant taste of dirt lingered.

Assessments of the health effects are mixed. Dirt can contain deadly parasites or toxins, but can also strengthen the immunity of fetuses in the womb to certain diseases, said Gerald N. Callahan, an immunology professor at Colorado State University who has studied geophagy, the scientific name for dirt-eating.

Haitian doctors say depending on the cookies for sustenance risks malnutrition.

"Trust me, if I see someone eating those cookies, I will discourage it," said Dr. Gabriel Thimothee, executive director of Haiti's health ministry.

Marie Noel, 40, sells the cookies in a market to provide for her seven children. Her family also eats them.

"I'm hoping one day I'll have enough food to eat, so I can stop eating these," she said. "I know it's not good for me."
Hosted by Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Funny For The Athiests....

An atheist was walking through the woods.

"What majestic trees"!

"What powerful rivers"!

"What beautiful animals"!

He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer. He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right On top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out, "Oh my God!"

Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was still.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. "You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident." "Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer"?

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps You could make the BEAR a Christian"?

"Very Well," said the Voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & prayed:

"Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

****

Why do so many ignore God during their daily lives,.... until they find themselves in desperate situations?

Blessings

Pastor Rick
Myspace.com/ReachOutCenter

Funny Commerical

Ok...I KNOW it is a beer commercial, but the dog cracks me up. If you know me, you know I have A LOT of animals as well as having rehabbed squirrels...this commercial made me laugh until I cried tonight!

More Cowbell 2.0!

This SNL skit is hilarious. Watch Will Farrell work that cowbell! ;-)
Taught Nikaya how to say this "I Need more cowbell!!"

Saturday Night Fights

Saturday was fight night. Relatively clean fights with only 1 real bad cut to the bone on the guys left cheek....amazing to look like THAT and be the one who won! ;-)
Had a blast as did the people I took to watch....maybe some new fans.

Get to go again March 15th!!!

Oh What A Night

Once again I had an insomnia night. This one was not entirley my fault, hubby is sick and SNORES like a crazy man. hehe

I tried sleeping but spent most of the night listening to Curt making noises and tapping him to move him around so he would quit...didn't work. Then, Kai woke up with 'snakes in his bed'. I don't know what it is about that kid, but he always has snakes in his bed at night. He walked the hallway mumbling and I found him in his room spreading his covers out looking for the offending snake. It took quite a while to convince him that we did not have snakes in the house or his bed and he should go back to sleep. I sat on his floor and rubbed his leg for about 30 minutes. My legs and butt fell asleep and my head was bobbing so I went back to bed. Curt kept making the 'snark' noise....no other way to describe it..hehe

I got the kids up for school and was able to lay back down before Nikaya got up. Try as I might, I still could not get thru the noise so I packed up my pillow and extra blankie and went to rest on the snake bed in Kai and Hunter's room.....at least I got another hour before Nikaya woke me up with the need for breakfast! ;-)

I think next time I will just phone my friend Ange and she and I can catch up on life at 4am!

Headstrong by Trapt

Not that I have EVER been accused of being headstrong...hehe But this song is one that defines me and the way I approach things in life: "Back off, I'll take you on, headstrong to take on anyone!"
This song and the one below are about how I have felt over the last month or so....please listen and enjoy and feel how I have felt!

TRAPT-Stand Up

This is one of the songs by ONE of my favorite bands, that has defined the way I have felt over the last month. Those that know me, Know I am not one to give in to anyone for anything. When a challenge is presented in front of me I take it head on trying to prove me point to whomever needs to know it.
This song above tells the final thoughts I feel about my situation lately! Ejoy....

Temporary Reprieve

There has been a temporary reprieve from the ski night bus trip to the mountain. It is supposed to be re-scheduled for a later date.
Kids are back at school today, but roads and weather are still horrible! We shall see if we will go ahead and have Bball practice tonight or if it is cabin fever night again....at least LOST is on tonight!!! ;-)

Seinfeld - Serenity Now Montage

A video for the Blog below! ENJOY!

SERENITY NOW!!!!!

I am not sure about all of you out there, but we have been fighting the creeping crud for about 2 weeks now. I am so tired of the coughing, vomitting, sneezing, runny noses, more coughing, complaints that someone sneezed on someone elses food at the table.....etc. All I can think about is the Seinfeld episode that everytime George Costanzas dad gets angry he screams "SERENITY NOW!" We are having A LOT of moments with each other like that lately. hehe

We have another busy week ahead of us with basketball practices and games, cheer performances and ski night.
Now, lets talk about ski night....I DESPISE pants, coats, hats, scarves etc...I am Claustrophobic...weird, but true. I/we have decided that since my hubby cannot get off work in time to chaperone the ski night, I will indeed go in his place. Neither Curtis nor I feel that a 5th grade child should be left to thier own devices whilst being watched by 1 or 2 teachers while skiing all over a mountain along with 30-40 other kids....So.....I must go. :-( I have not decided if I will pay the $5 to ride teh school bus with all of the 5th graders, or pay $20 to drive my own van. The deal isn't cost really, but sanity....How SANE can you be when riding in the bus with that many 5th graders on a winding mountain hill???? Not much, but I am only assuming here.
I am already sick with a bronchitis like thing, totally and utterly dislike wearing clothes suitable for outside activities, but will have to anyway. I will make sure Hubby takes a photo for those of you that know me and have NEVER seen me in anything but shorts....hehe
SO, enjoy Seinfelds above episode and know that Thursday evening THAT will be ME! ;-)

50 Things You Probably Don't Want To Know About Me

Saw this on Ange's blog and thought I would do it too...FUN!


1. Do you like blue cheese?
yuk

2. Have you ever smoked heroin?
(NO, how do you smoke a bird that size? aren't they all legs?) hehe Ange's answer cracks me up, and NO, I have not

3. Do you own a gun?
the squirting kind

4. Your favorite song?
depends on teh day and the mood I am in

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not usually

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
They are disgusting. Do you KNOW what those things are made from??

7. Favorite Christmas song?
I have a few: O Holy Night, Who Child is This (is that the name??), Rock Around the Christmas Tree

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Iced Tea or Iced Water

9. Can you do push ups?..
I do about 30 girly ones everyday...I have batwings I am trying to get rid of!

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
Wedding ring. After that, it is a toss up, I have many pieces of Cranial Accessories

12. Favorite hobby?
My Kids Activities, Suduko, Crossword Puzzles

14. Do you have A.D.D.?
What was the question I was thinking of something else? (Same as Ange!!!)

15. What one trait do you hate about yourself?
are the voices in my head a trait? hehehe...

16. Middle Name?
Marie (and NO, I do not know how my brother Donny is...) ;-P

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment...
I really should go to bed
I need to get the kids clothes out for tomorrow
I got a lot to do tomorrow

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
COffe for me
Tea for a friend
Friut Snacks for Demi

19. Three drinks you drink regularly?
Tea, Water, Repeat...

20. Current worry right now?
That I want and NEED a money tree to grow in my yard!

21. Current hate right now?
Dont usually hate anyone or anything

22. Favorite place to be?
With my family, or in HAITI (for sure!)

23. How did you bring in the New Year?
Toasting Hunter and Nikaya with juice and watching the countdown. Hubby and 2 other kids went to In-Laws....I didn't feel like going an neither did the other two..

24. Where would you like to go?
Haiti

25. Name three people who will complete this?
???

26. Do you own slippers?
Yes, my kids prefer to wear them because I am claustrophobic!

27. What shirt are you wearing?
Red T-shirt and Jammie Shorts

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
Only tried when i was younger and my pillow would NOT stay on the bed

29. Can you whistle?
YEPPERS

30. Favorite Colors?
I don't have just one

31. Would you be a pirate?
Never thought about it, but Johnny Depp is cute...could he be my Pirate First Mate???

32. Who did you get this from?
Ange's Blog

33. Favorite girl's name?
Demi, Nikaya (always liked Gwendolyn but out voted by people who should not have had a vote!)

34. Favorite boy's name?
Hunter, Kai (always liked Brody..once again I got out voted by people who should NOT have a choice!) :-P

35. What is in your pocket right now?
No Pockets

36. Last thing that made you laugh?
Video from Ange's blog

37. Favorite childhood bed sheets?
Dont remember my sheets....I was little and heck, they were sheets

38. Worst injury you've ever had?
Broke my nose playing softball in the 4th grade

39. Do you love where you live?
Yep

40. How many TVs do you have in your house?
5, but our big screen doesn't work...unless you like 3D news

41. Who is your loudest friend?
LeAnne of course ( I WIN....I WIN!!!)
Tracey is my loudest friend

42. How many dogs do you have?
3

43. Does someone have a crush on you?
I think my hubby does...hehe

45. What is your favorite book?
I have a few

46. What is your favorite candy?
ANYTHING chocolate

47. Favorite Sports Team?
No real teams...Maybe Pittsburgh becuase I am married to a fan!

48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
OH HAPPY DAY...Oh, I like this choice Ange.


49. What were you doing 12 AM last night?
TRYING to sleep but not succeeding

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Can they possibly be up ALREADY? hehe...Me too

Wyclef Jean Gonaives Music Video

What can I say..it is The Haitian Himself...

from directors Michael Skolnik and Rebecca Chai... (more)
Added: March 29, 2007
from directors Michael Skolnik and Rebecca Chaiklin, Wyclef Jean's new music video for the people of Gonaives, Haiti after Hurricane Jean devestated their town in 2004, killing over 2000 people

The MixeR

Evil Pig...

Dinosaur Tries To Eat Pig :D

I LOVE Evil Pig!!!!

Domino's 28 Minutes Funny Commercial

This commercial cracks me up to no end....enjoy.
hehe

Just Stuff

Last night was pretty fun. I was asked to come help out at some local High School Boxing. I have never watched Boxing in real life so I was pretty nervous about being over cautious, under cautious etc. I had a blast. They even had girl fights....WHOA. I mean, they have MMA fighter chicks, but you usually don't see them all that often outside of training and a few fights here and there.
There was 17 fights total. 6 were local College kids and the rest were High School kids. My friends Ken and Shelia's son Craig fought for the first time. He did good. He said he was bummed he didn't win fighter of the night but I told him he definitely won the 'fighter who bled the most in My corner' award! ;-P I will see if he will let me post a pic. of him when he was finished....saweet...hehe

I am looking forward to the next CCF cage fights at Qwest arena. Should be fun since they are putting together an awesome fight card. Hopefully not to many fighters to pre check, but hey....they put on a good show.

I had a conversation with a Pastor I know before the high school fights. One of the kids fighting was from his church and the kid asked him to come as his corner man...thought that was pretty cool. He and I talked over how boxing is so much of a better sport than MMA. He feels that MMA is brutal and boxing is more skill. I asked him if he would ever get in the ring to MMA fight anyone, to which he replied a loud "NO WAY!" Hey, either way you are getting in a ring or cage to beat the crap out of another human....both sports are brutal if you ask me...some of us just like to watch it for the heck of it. :-P We agreed to meet in the middle with that answer. By the end of the night, 1 knockout and several bloody noses, we decided that both are bloody and definitely not one we would ever do ourselves.

My brother Eric and I always tease about what our fighter names would be should we ever be dumb enough to fight. I think I may be LeAnne The Terminator" (my mom's idea, since I can stop your fight anytime I darn well want to...hehe) Eric I believe should be Eric "The Q-Tip" or Eric "Cue Ball" since he shaves his head and has no neck and a body builders body. He is not sure what his fight song would be (this is important since it is used to intimidate the other fighter). Mine "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" by Drowning Pool or "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed...both equally angry and scary.hehe
This last fight we did, the Dr. we had helping us decided that since he is a pacifist and a wimp that his name would be "Devin "The Panty Waist" and his music would be ANYTHING by Michael Bolton. :-P We laughed long and hard at that one!

Well, off to rest before 1 basketball game for Hunter, 1 practice and game for Kai and cheer for Demi....all before noon tomorrow! YIKES!

My Pity

Lately I have been feeling very down. Things have been rough with Haitian Adoption, new law changing, making it harder for families to adopt. Changing agencies and having not even gotten the chance to meet my new group has been frustrating.
I feel like I am trying to prove who I am, what I can do, what I know and not getting very far with it. The frustration has been enormous for me and for that I ask for Prayer.

There have been a few days that I have felt like bagging it all and just substitute teaching at the kids school whenever I could..just to have a 'normal job'. I get frustrated that I am frustrated because to me, it isn't a job, but a calling that I have answered.

The other day, while feeling particularly down I received my W2 in the mail for taxes. I am not ashamed to say it in public, but I made a whopping $5200 for the entire year of work. Now, THAT had me depressed as I looked at my phone bill (now getting better due to changing to Internet phone) and all the other bills I have incurred doing my work. The stress I feel, the time it takes away from my family doing it and the openness I have allowed myself with my Adoptive Families.
Then, in my pity I dug thru the mail and found a card. This card was from Tim, Beki, Jamie and Gracie. To open a card and read what they had said, the included photo, the smiles on their faces and to be a family finally...it made it all worth while. The happiness I saw on the families face was one thing, but to see a little girl, finally home...healthy...knowing that she is eating ALL she wants and is kissed ALL she wants and more...made it ALL worth while.

I walked to the fridge and looked at the faces of the kids that I have seen come home.....more than 50 kids...and the families I have helped unite....more than 37...and my pity began to disappear.
To all my families that read this, past, present and hopefully future. For the friends that I have made while 'working' and friendships that I hope will last a lifetime.
THANK YOU!

Thank you

I appreciate all the feed back about Church.
It is not mandatory to be a member, just that as a member you are invited to be involved in the business meetings and to be able to truly call the church your home and not be just a long term visitor.

So far I have agreed with a lot of what the church has been teaching. However one Sunday the Pastor made a comment about no dancing and I about fell off my chair...I LOVE to dance....
The Church has been very open with their doctrine, and seems to be teaching along the lines of the Bible and its true teaching and say they are a Bible believing church. I have begun taking a Women's Bible study on Titus 2 and LOVE it! I have learned quite a bit so far and look forward to learning more.

I had questions as to the fact that some churches I have been to only use King James, some use NIV version and others The Message. Of course, my Grandpa, who is head Deacon at the other church we used to belong to, says King James is the ONLY version.
I have had long talks about that with Dr. B as well...he does have a PhD in Religion so I figure he must know a little something about it....hehe He has assured me that as long as it is the Holy Bible I would be OK and the differences in the different versions etc. I LOVE THAT MAN! ;-P

I think we may wait and solidify our belief in this Church before we step out to gain membership, I just want to be 'hit with the spiritual 2x4' that we all talk about....it takes that for me to learn things sometimes.

I have always had a deep belief in the Lord, and that has never wavered, even when the Church failed me, he did NOT. To me that means more than anything and will continue to help me grow and find a church family...I hope it is this one that I currently have found.

Faith

Saw this on another blog and really needed to post it.....proves a good point, even to me! ;-P


What Is Faith?
"Faith is not a belief that everything will turn out to please us;
rather it is the confidence that no matter how things turn out,
God will somehow use the events in our days for His glory and for our good".

E. Stanley Jones

Membership....YIKES!

As many of you know, we have been trying a new Church for a while. I have been in love with the church so far and really feel like I am home. This last Sunday the Pastor brought up in the announcements about the next church business meeting and that they would be voting in any new members.....he gave a look our way and smiled and said "this is a hint to any of you that have been attending and may want to join our church family for good." Inside I have to say I freaked a little. I LOVE this church and so far, everyone in it. They are very mission minded, accept and love the children, and feel like they are teaching what I would like to learn. The thought of membership scares me.
Growing up any time I went to church is was with grandparents or other friends. My family was open to the idea of church, but never felt the urge to go. When I was 19, Curtis and I joined a church that was of a completely different faith than we were raised with (he has some family in the religion, but not a lot). We were Baptized and went to church to learn. Whenever I had questions about things, this church seemed to have the right answers...I was happy.
After my 3rd miscarriage, a few of our older church members came to our home (after I had just left the Hospital) and came by to 'see us'. They explained to my hubby that there were many wonderful women in the church that would be willing and "ABLE" to have children for him and maybe he should consider other women as his wife. YES, THEY SAID IT IN FRONT OF ME!
My hubby hit the roof. I had about died during this last miscarriage and here they are telling him to find another breeder cow to have babies with. ( as you can tell I harbor no hard feelings..hehe)
Hubby asked them to leave and told them to never come back and that we would not belong to a faith that preached leaving a spouse for something like that.
It took years to get our names removed from their 'books' and being told that once we left we would rot in hell for the rest of our lives because we had denied the only true church there ever was.
Years past...I still had a yearning to learn about the Lord and began attending Church with my grandparents. After about a year, Hubby and I were re baptized into the Baptist faith. Hunter had come home and was dedicated to the Lord....we were on the right track! We began going to church and were once again excited to find people with like minded thinking...we thought. One day while talking to the Associate Pastors wife, she commented how she would love to have more children but could not because hubby had been fixed. Me, being me, said something to the effect of "Hey, Haiti has a lot of children, why not look there?" The reply stunned me... "WHY would I want to adopt from Haiti, aren't all the kids...BLACK?" (imagine a screwed up face to go along with this remark) My jaw fell to the floor....realizing what she had said and to whom, she began to back track and apologize that she really didn't mean it that way and that she was a Christian woman and only human. I was angry...livid.
After much apologizing from the church I still didn't feel like my kids would be welcome there so we left. I could not get over the thought of what had been said to me in front of my young son.
A couple of years passed and I watched this church slowly destruct due to embezzlement, infidelity by the Assoc. Pastor and lies to the congregation....so much for a wonderful group of Christians.

I Have had long talks about religion with Dr. Bernard, how I have felt lost and burned by people who call themselves Christians, I am afraid to commit to a Church out of fear that I will once again be led astray by holier than thou people who live in the flesh and not the word. I am young in my faith and want so much to learn, but to learn the right things. I have felt harsh words directed my way, other peoples way, my children's way, by people who profess to be living in Gods word. It makes it very hard for me to want to commit to a church family.

This church has not given me ANY reason to think it will be the same, the people are wonderful, kind and have not said or done one thing that makes me think otherwise....it is just MY fear.

THOUGHTS???

Wonderful News

Well, it is hard to know if you should post some things, but I am just bursting and need to say it out loud.

Hunter came home at 2 months of age, back when adoptions from Haiti were easier....MUCH easier. The hope of getting an infant from Haiti is a thing of the past. Hunter's Bfather came to the NLL office quite often to pick up photos and update letters we sent, probably until Hunter was 4 years old....then suddenly he stopped coming. I talked to Dr. Bernard about it and for years he always reminded me how tough Haiti is, that his Bfather was ill and had probably passed, never to be heard from on this Earth again. This was sad for me, a man that I loved that I didn't really even know. He gave such a blessing to us in the form of a son, that there was no amount of thank you I could ever say to be a sufficient thank you.

We continued all this time to send photos to Dr. Bernard and extras for IBESR and some for his file..."should Louis ever come looking"....we always said. Dr. B would smile and remind me that Haiti was Haiti and that Louis was gone. In an argument (I use the term loosely since every conversation in Haiti sounds like an argument..hehe) I stated that I wanted to believe that Louis was somewhere in Haiti living his life the best he could and was just fine. Dr. B would shook his head and smile at me as he walked away, knowing much more than I ever wanted to admit.

During our adoption of Kai we took the time to see if Kai or Demi had any siblings that were available for adoption before we were open to being referred another child....just to possibly keep siblings together. It came to be that during this time Hunter began to realize that he was probably the only one of his Birth family that had survived Haiti and had a chance. This was so hard for him. We held him as he cried and mourned family that he never had a chance to know and never would know...a sadness that I truly could not understand but deeply wanted to.

Today I got an email from Dr. B. It said the following: "You will never guess who Claudette and I ran into, Hunter's Birth father..."
WHAT? My mind was racing.....could it really be? I had tears streaming down my face as I called my hubby to tell him...LOUIS IS ALIVE!!! We decided to tell Hunter tonight our news that we had received.

We set Hunter down and talked to him, the look on his face. The confusion, the happiness, the sadness, the What look....so much for a 10 year old to digest.
We talked about what him being alive meant...link to Haiti, info. about his Bmother and Birth siblings, someone to write to that was a biological link to himself.....by the end of the conversation Hunter said he would LOVE to write letters to him, take photos to send.

We explained to Hunter that it does NOT hurt us that he wants a relationship with his Haiti father, and does not make us upset if he does not....it is his choice. I hope and pray that he can make a relationship with him that makes him happy, and that he does it for himself, not us or anyone else...but himself.

Praise God, Louis is alive...I love the sound of that!

Wednesday's Post

This is a post for Wednesday:

1. Kids Snow day...enough said
2. So much snow that the Internet was out all day
3. No Internet meant no regular Internet phone, only cell.....
4. ALL the kids Friends decided to play HERE for the snow day
5. Roads so slick that AWANA's and Basketball were cancelled, further frustrating the cabin fever family

Just enough said........hehehe

My Sweet Demi

The picture you see here is of Demi Roo. Demi turned 8 years old on January 7th. I cannot believe that she is 8 and that she has been home for 6 years now. Demi has grown into such a beautiful young lady who LOVES to cook. This is a picture at Mammy and Pappy's house (my mom and dad) where she spent Sunday- shopping for, cooking and decorating her own cake as well as shopping for a birthday outfit. I will post a photo of her in her outfit soon...I have to download it from the ole camera...hehe
She LOVED the fact that Mammy and Pappy picked her up after church and took her to lunch. They then bought the things she wanted for her cake and came back to their house to make it. While it cooled they went shopping and she picked out shoes, socks, dress, headband et al..."that was sparkling and matching"...her description...hehe She wore them to school Monday and was happy to be the belle of the ball when I brought cupcakes to her class to celebrate. Everyone LOVED her outfit.
Monday night we celebrated like we always do, the b-day family member gets to pick where we have dinner. Demi chose Golden Corral Buffet. Everyone was happy with that decision since you can pick your own food and dessert; she also picked her Friend Annie to go with her. We told the server that it was Demi's B-day and they sang to her while having her stand on her chair with salt and pepper shakers and using them like maracas....hehehe...she was so embarrassed! ;-)


HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEMI! WE LOVE YOU SWEETY!

A Child of Sixteen

PLEASE, check out my friend Kez's blog. Kez is a nurse that lived at HFC-NLL orphanage for about 9 months. She has posted photos and info. about some of the kids that are turning 16 this year. You see, in Haiti when a CHILD turns 16, they are considered an adult and unadoptable....16...that is a child. Believe me, I have met alot of these kids and would love to take them all....I have no room OR money right now for it.
I am currently looking into what it may take to bring the kids to the US on Student Visa's etc....if they miss the deadline, but what it would be like for them to have something we all take for granted...A FAMILY OF THEIR OWN.....

http://myhaitiankids.blogspot.com/

My Day

I thought I would write about my day....it is a good therapy and many may get a laugh off of me...therapy for them. :-P

I got up late but was able to get the kids off to school on time...PTL!

Went and did a few errands that needed done...finally...

I went to Wal-Mart (never smart after the Holiday's and to bring a 3 year old) and waited in line for 25 minutes to complete a money gram bill payment. I got to the front of the line only to realize that I did not have all the info. needed for the transaction. The gal was nice enough to tell me that if I filled it out and brought it right back they would let me just walk in a do it.THANK YOU!!! So, I go out to the car in the middle of the rainstorm with Nikaya, fill out what I need on the form and truck back into the store. I waited until a spot opened up and the same gal saw me. She motioned me forward.....PEOPLE BOO'ED ME....can you believe it?! I was actually Boo'ed at the Wal-mart...man, that is a new low for me. hehe

Then I went to this little store I pass quite often and stopped to see what they had. I bought a coat rack that I have been needing since no one seems to get the coats in the coat closet in the kitchen and it really isn't in a convenient spot anyway.
I got home and put the coat rack back together (the guy at the store took it apart so it would fit in the mini-van). I was so excited that I hung the kids sweathshirts on it and BAM.....stupid thing fell over...in half....right where the guy had separated it. I figured that I am not the most mechanical person, yes, it is a coat rack...but it may be a difficult one...So I try again, making sure that all the nuts and bolts were tightened. Low and behold the stupid thing fell over AGAIN! I put it aside deciding to wait for hubby to get home and fix it since it was really beginning to tick me off.

Kids came home from school and I decided to start on dinner. I put some things in the microwave oven to cook and I sat down to help with homework. Kai decided to use the ENTIRE glue stick for one piece of paper.....nice....
After we were done with homework...no, not completed, but done, I decided to start with dinner again.
I went back to the microwave and opened it to get the hamburger out. The door didn't close all the way so I pushed it again....it bounced back....push it again....another bounce. Finally I slammed it pretty hard...it bounced back and smacked me in the top of the head leaving a HUGE mark on my forehead.....OUCH! I was ready to just cry, just the straw that broke the camels back man....Demi looks at me and says "man mom, that looked like it hurt. I heard it clear over here at the table. Do you know you have a big red mark on your head?"
That was it. I went into the bathroom and just cried. It was more like a pitiful giggle-cry, the kind where you want to laugh at your circumstances but want to pout and be angry all wrapped up into one.
I sat there, listening to the kids talking and doing homework and coloring, the cat digging at the bottom of the door so she could get to me, and waiting for my sanity (Curtis) to get home and save me.

So, I have recouped and can now laugh at the mark on my forehead even though it looks like a third eyeball, dinner was edible, Curtis is fixing the 'new' coat rack for me and life will go on.

Go ahead...laugh and enjoy and remember......maybe your day was bad...but do YOU have a third eyeball?

A Night With SIL

I had a pretty good evening last night. Unfortunately it started off with the viewing of my Hubbies Great Grandmother Cara Noland. Wonderful woman who lived to the ripe age of 99 years old. She lived on her own until the end of September of this last year BY HERSELF....wow...I want to be that spunky when I am her age. ;-)
She passed December 30, 2007. She had been ill and was just tired and ready to go to Heaven for her long awaited reward. We are all sad for us to see her go, but know that she is up there watching out for all of us. I was very excited that in her lifetime she was able to see and do so many things, and that our children all got to meet her while she was still here. GOODBYE Grandma Noland, you will be missed!!!

After the viewing we came home and had a quick dinner. I had been invited out to a movie with my SIL Steph (who was only going to the funeral today and not the viewing since she had already gone over and done grandma's hair). I decided I had time and wanted to help cheer Steph up so we headed out for dinner for her and dessert for me. After visiting for a while we went to see a wonderful movie....'P.S. I Love You'. WOW....I am a HUGE fan of 'The Notebook' and LOVED this movie as well. Sad, funny, and romantic all in one. I know it is the typical 'chic' flick, but man...it was a great one to watch. It has Hilary Swank (who kind of has horse face....), Harry Connick Jr (who is a cutie) and some Irish guy....he was a hottie..hehe
I don't want to give the whole story away, but Hilary Swank and the Irish guy are married and he dies young of a brain tumor. He had arranged for her to receive letters from him for about 1-2 years AFTER his death. All the letters arrive different ways, talk about different things from their marriage and make her relive their dating life all to help her learn to live without him. Sweet story. A definite MUST SEE!

It was great getting out with Steph and seeing a show. Usually our nights end up as horror pictures and double features until midnight. We got a late start and only saw one film, but it was long enough that I still didn't make it home until almost 1am.
Not good for my insomnia as I laid there in bed until 3:30am trying desperately to sleep. Made me think of my friend Ange's blog (Schneiderville Chaos) and her insomnia and I started giggling...I was trying so hard not to wake up Curtis that I had to get out of bed and go downstairs to giggle a little before returning to finally sleep. THANKS FOR THE LAUGH ANGE!!!
Blessings all around!

Out and About on the Eve of '08

Today the kids and I took a short trip to see a couple of kids that recently came home from Haiti. Jeremy, Marcy, their 3 bio. boys Austin, Christian and Kaden and now Hope and Grace were all in town visiting family for the holidays. It is amazing to see kids once they are home...what a change it makes. It still amazes me to see children who have lived in an orphanage for a while acclimate to family life, being with a mom AND a dad and siblings in a country that is so different than what they are used to.
Hope and I said a few things in Creole to each other (which I think made her like me a little more....) and I kissed both on the foreheads. The girls remembered me and my 2 youngest kids from our trip last December, when Kai and Nikaya came home. Jeremy and Marcy went to Haiti to visit their girls while we were in Haiti, allowing them to get to know them before they were ready to come home. It is a time I will always remember fondly, but also with sadness. I KNOW that sadness of visiting and having to leave your child behind again....not a feeling I wish on anyone. The experience of getting to know your child a little before, making them real to yourself and you to them, is so priceless and really encourages the bonding once you return to get them.

After visiting, we headed out to see Curtis at work...a quick stop in to say HI and Happy New Year to everyone before the Holiday. We then left and went to eat an Early dinner. I ran into a family I have known for a while. They adopted from Dr. Bernard 14 years ago...the first 2 kids Dr. B every placed in the US. The oldest boy is now 16 years old and HANDSOME! I have not seen the family for several years and was floored when they walked in. Of course, seeing someone who was brown made my kids look, but my son Hunter immediately said "I think he looks Haitian.' YES! I told him....he could not believe it was true.
I spoke to the family some and gaped-mouth stared at Alex. What a handsome young man he has turned into! Tall, well spoken and such a cutie with his girlfriend...hehe
My kids were so excited to meet (Hunter has met them before but was younger and didn't remember) the first boy Dr. B placed. As I was leaving I called Dr. B to wish him Happy Birthday and was able to let him talk to Alex....I think he was truly blessed to talk to him. We had a bad phone connection plus it was loud at the restaurant and Dr. B was at the orphanage for the New Years Eve/Birthday Party so the conversation was short. We did however exchange numbers so they could talk in the future. I hope to make a connection for this boy so he can see where he is from and how many people love him and think of him often.
Well, off to celebrate the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DR. BERNARD!!!!

Food Issues, Dieting and Celiac

I decided to give a little update on me, the D Word: DIETING and how it goes....

I have been working as diligently as possible to keep from gaining any weight during the Holiday Season. I am still managing to keep the weight at 28lbs lost! I have encouraged Curtis to go along with me and he is down about 2lbs. He is excited to see how much he can lose as well. He is FAR from needing to lose as much as I do, but feels that some off the middle will help the overall picture of life. :-)

I am proud of the fact that I have maintained the loss even through Christmas. We have received candy, baked goods (which thankfully I cannot eat anyway) and more candy. This however is like supplying crack to a drug addict as anything chocolate is my addiction. I do not use the term addiction lightly here either. The big joke throughout my life has been that if you covered ANYTHING in chocolate I would probably eat it....probably true. hehe
I crave chocolate like an alcoholic would crave booze, a drug addict would crave their next fix. I have a personal NEED for chocolate. I tell ya, trying to break that addiction is hard. I joked about taping a piece of chocolate to my arm to lick whenever a fix was needed (like a cigarette patch) but decided that I would probably just eat my whole arm. I have decided the best way to defeat this addiction without going 100% cold turkey is to drink 1% milk with a little chocolate syrup in it. I allow myself this once a day...it has really helped. The chocolate craving is gone and I feel like I have given myself a treat as well.

To diet is not a good thing for me. I have so many restrictions in what I can and cannot eat due to my Celiac Disease, that denying myself anything else is not an option. I must also watch myself for the fact that I am a perfectionist/control freak at things and a past Bulimic/Anorexic. During my early teen years I would starve myself. When forced to eat I would either hide my food in a napkin or purge after the meal was over. It is hard to overcome that as well, and the urge to do this can be overwhelming and the control factor with it is overwhelming as well. I think it all has to go in with the addictive tendency in my life.

My segway here is the control freak in me and the lack of control my Celiac life gives me:

The other day I gave in to the kids and we had McDonald's. Something we have not done much lately due to money and watching what we eat. The kids had their kids meals and I had some fries and a chicken sandwich, no bread. WELL....as with anytime I eat out, I got something I was not supposed to eat and my Celiac went into overdrive. I ran, with 4 children in tow, from the back of a Target store to the front to make it to the restroom before becoming ill. Quite a feat that we ALL made it, I did not get sick in the middle of Target and the store didn't think I was running for the door with stolen merchandise..I was running like a thief with a load to steal too! ;-)
After I somewhat recovered, I ran into a friend of mine, who happens to have Celiac as well. She commented on the way I was looking and how the Holidays were going etc. When all of a sudden Kai says "we had to run to the potty so my mom wouldn't be sick in the store." NICE....Tell everyone there boy......
At least my friend is a fellow Celiac who knows what it is like and told me that while I continued shopping to holler for her and she would watch my kids where they stood so I didn't have to haul them all to the front again. hehe

New Years Eve

Any big plans for New Years Eve?
Us, we have been invited to a couple of different parties, however, they are adult only parties and kids are not to be included. :-(
We have decided, like we do every year at this time, to have a Family celebration for New Years Eve....come on, you KNOW we are party animals!!!
We are in the process of deciding which movies we will watch, and how much popcorn we will consume tomorrow night. :-) We always end up with at least 2 movies, mounds of candy and popcorn, soda or juice (tea for mommy) and enjoy each others company until the Little's (Kai and Nikaya) fall asleep and the rest of us welcome in the new year.
It should be a fun night with just us in the house with the pets.

We came to this idea because all of our kids LOVE family movie night.
The other day we received a gift from someone that contained popcorn. The popcorn was stored in the pantry. Hunter saw the popcorn on the shelf and declared
"Hey, is it family movie night? "
To which I replied.."No, why do you ask?"
Hunter "Because I see popcorn!"
Mom "Just because there is popcorn doesn't mean it is family movie night."
Hunter "YES IT DOES!"
To which all the kids replied "YES IT DOES!!!"
So, we have decided that New Years Eve will be Family movie night! ;-)

Here is hoping you have an enjoyable New Years eve as well.
I will post about how Family Movie Night went!!!

Man Cold

This is to funny NOT to share. For all the women out there, share THIS with your men and show them how they really are to live with! hehe

Angels Of A Lower Flight

I just read the book "Angels of a Lower Flight" written by Susan Scott Krabacher.

I requested this book for Christmas and was thrilled when my mother found it for me. The book was released in October, but I had not gotten the chance to get it yet.

Was it a good book you ask?! YES....I read it all (320 pages worth) last night and today and finished a little bit ago. The book will make you laugh, cry and shout out in disgust at the very things Susie has seen in her trials in Haiti. It is a good depiction of Haiti, the people, the triumph, the corruption and all that goes on during a typical day in the life of Haiti; yet things still get done.

I like how she does not portray herself as a hero, that she shows her frustration of the things she sees and still has the determination to do what feels called to do. She tells it like it is, warts and all, including her own life and thoughts and tribulations....amazing.

There is no amount of writing here that can do justice to the book, you must read it for yourself..plain and simple

I have never met Susie, but have spoken to her, her hubby Joe and her Father Frank on the phone. They are all wonderful and kind and trying to do the right thing for the people of Haiti, most of all the children no one wants....the handicapped.

Please, take time to find and read the book:
ANGELS OF A LOWER FLIGHT
BY SUSIE SCOTT KRABACHER

Christmas Plans

Well, we survived Christmas! Kids are doing well (not getting along 100%...they are kids out of school ya know). Everyone is unwinding today just letting the whole 3 days sink in, relax etc.

On the 23rd we went to my hubbies family for our Christmas Eve with his side of the family. Lovely time. Not much I could eat due to my Celiac, but it was still good. I did enjoy a few things that were supposed to be ok, but I have paid for it dearly over the last 3 days...eeww... We exchanged gifts with family members and watched the BSU football game on TV. For those of you NOT in Idaho, BSU is our local college (Boise State University) and they ROCK at football. Last year they were undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. This year they made it all the way to the Hawaii Sheraton Bowl game. We lost 41-38. Sad, but hey...it is just a sport. Next year is a new year and they will try again. I think one of the things that caused our loss was several players had been booted from play and left at home for being naughty...shame.

The 24th we prepped everything and had everyone on my mothers side of the family at OUR house. YIKES. About 30 people came, some I have not seen for a while....it was great. We do not exchange gifts but just get together and eat chili (Yes...chili) and sweet and sour meatballs and visit about our year with each other. I love it even with all the hard work.

The 25th we do Christmas morning with our kids. This year they were tired enough they slept later than we had thought, a little later than 0 dark stupid. hehe
The kids opened their gifts and we ate a little breakfast and enjoyed each others company and got ready to go to Mammy and Pappy's house (my mom and dad) for lasagna.
Ok...side note, I know we do not eat typical Christmas fair around here, but I only get lasagna once a year and I LOVE this time of year because my parents make Gluten Free lasagna and I get my own pan!!!
Anyway, we enjoyed the company of my parents and my brother Eric, his wife Lyndsay and their kids Addie and Ariya. By the end of the evening, we were all on overload, had more gifts and food than we needed and ready to go home for some quiet. ( I use quiet as a relative term since I have 4 kids here...)

Today we relax, recoup and just enjoy the fact that we have no plans to go anywhere.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I hope everyone out there is having a wonderful Christmas with their loved ones. May this be the last one the adoptive families spend without their new children, the enjoyable first holiday for those newly united with their kids.
Blessings to all....

At A Loss

I am going to breach a subject here that may get me in trouble.

I have been told by people that my myspace and blog are offensive due to my music choices, multiple piercings and other life choices I have made. I have never felt the need to censor myself and have always known that 'to know me is to love me'.

The last couple of days my Christianity and Professionalism has been called into question because someone saw my myspace and blog and thought them inappropriate. WHAT? Of course, these people need to remember that I write this stuff for ME, no one else.
What is all the judgment about. These people have never met me, spent time with me, talked in depth with me about my likes, dislikes and ideals..my hopes and dreams for myself, the world and my children....they SAW and HEARD something THEY didn't like and now I am not appropriate.

I have a dear Friend as well that has been called out for her choices in life. While they may not be as 'risque' as mine in areas, they are 'odd' according to some....enough that they called social services on her. Yep, read that right. She did NOT abuse her children, neglect them or deprive them of anything.....she was DIFFERENT! She is Large Christian family with children of another color who home schools...THE GALL...I felt pity for my choices but see how she is even more persecuted than I am. Both of us wear our differences on the outside, it tends to draw the people who are holier than thou and don't like it, to react.

My myspace has a picture of black hands holding a white child and asks the question...."WHY DOES IT MATTER?" I am asking all of you....Why does it? Who are YOU to determine what is right and wrong.. acceptable and unacceptable?

All I know, some true heroes did what they felt was right for them, their families and themselves and have been persecuted for it. To them I say THANK YOU and to those who continue to be DIFFERENT....ROCK ON!!!

An Early B-Day Present...A Date with My Hubby

I was in pure Heaven last night. My in-laws took all 4 kids so hubby and I could have a childless night (I think the first time in about ever that we have been 100% kid free in YEARS!

Curt and I went to Outback Steakhouse and had a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.....WONDERFUL Gluten Free Brownie dessert that is to die for. ;-)

We then went to an early show of 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith. Good show, not 100 % what I thought it was going to be like, but good anyway. We then trotted over to Shopko and did a little Christmas shopping for the family. We decided we were feeling spunky and the night was young so we went to the $2.00 theater and watched 'Resident Evil 3'.....scary as heck, but I love zombie flicks! We came home and watched 2 movies we had here to watch, 'Blades of Glory' and 'Bug'. 'Blades of Glory' is silly, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are hilarious as men couple figure skaters. 'Bug' was the dumbest thing I have seen in a long time....what a waste of valuable time in my life. By the time we were done, it was 3:30am and we were bushed.

I slept for a while, got a message from Wendi that her plane was delayed so I got up and tried to get a hold of Haiti to let Samuel know when to pick her up. No one would answer so I emailed instead hoping that someone would check for it...YES...they did! I went back to sleep for a while and hubby and I got up and loafed around the house together, just hanging out in quiet....something we have not done in forever.

We picked the kids up this afternoon after a wonderful quiet time together. What a great few days early B-day present!!!!!!

Fight Update

Quick update on fights!

I have to say that the evening was fairly low in the bloody category. I had one fighter in a submission position and when he tried to get out, it snapped his ankle in half.....EEWW....he made a lovely trip via ambulance to the Hospital for the evening and his opponent went home with a win, but feeling bad that he had broke the other guys ankle......part of the sport when ya climb in the cage I guess.
Almost had one audience member thrown out for his mouth and language. One of the Medics and I were looking for a vial of pain med's that had fallen out and an intoxicated man in the audience hollered obscenities and names at me for 'being in his way...' I shot him a mean look and Security went to him and had a 'shut your mouth or else' speech. The guy came up to me after being surrounded by about 5 security people and apologized to me for his comment. I LOVE the way they take care of my safety at the fights...nothing worse than drunks, testosterone and fights...hehe I did have a couple of the fighters come up and ask me if I wanted them to take care of the guy for me....thanks, but I will file that request in the back of my mind for a later date! ;-P...Nice to know they have my back!

The Latest Ones Home

Below are photos of the kids that have just come home. I am so excited that they are spending their FIRST Christmas with their new families. By all reports, all the families are doing well, children are bonding and everyone is settling in to their new lives!

WELCOME HOME!




Hope Louna-In mommies arms December 2, 2007; Home December 6, 2007

Grace Haylee-In mommies arms December 2, 2007; Home December 6, 2007

Elliot Rose-Meeting mama December 16, 2007; Home December 18, 2007

Graceline Rose-In mamas arms December 3, 2007; Home December 8, 2007

Elliot Rose is Coming Home

One of my families is finally traveling to Haiti! It has been a long 2 1/2 to 3 year process for this family.....well worth the wait, but long none the less.
Elliot Rose (Rose Nancy) Will be home for Christmas! I am so happy to write that here, I cannot express it in words alone.
I will post photos of the kids next!

Fight Night

Tonight is Fight Night at the Qwest Arena in Boise. I will be ringside once again taking care of business. Should be between 10 and 12 fights tonight....hopefully not as eventful as last time. Pray for my ability to care for the guys and their wounds as I sit as Medic for the fighters and brave the boo's and nastiness I receive when I stop the action...always making friends, I am! :-P

UNICEF and Haiti

I am going to jump on the bandwagon of many of my fellow adoption bloggers.....UNICEF.

I work with Haitian adoption, and have for about 8 years now. I have helped many children go to their forever families and have ached and rejoiced with the adoptive families as they rode the roller coaster that is Haitian adoption.
Until the last little bit, a Haitian adoption would take about 9-11 months to complete...any longer and you were the odd family that happened to hit a snag or two during the process.
NOW, families are waiting 2 years for their children, often times 10 months or so of this wait is AFTER the children are legally adopted by their American families. Adoptive families throw the names IBESR (Haitian Social Services) and MOI (Ministry of Interior) around like old pro's by the time they have finished their processes. These are two offices that seem to hang most families up. The IBESR problem seems to be coming to a close and files are being processed at about 6 months or so typically. MOI on the other hand has had its fair share of crap. First there was a couple of people asking for bribes....if you didn't bribe you didn't get files out. Now that those people are gone (arrested...PTL) UNICEF has stepped in to the office along with a new MOI Director, to take care of business. Well, for those of you that do not know, UNICEF is STAUNCHLY AGAINST International Adoption. Please read their page below where it states their position.

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_15011.html

I would love to agree with UNICEF. In a perfect world biological parents could love, feed, clothe and educate their children without interference or help of others. Haiti is FAR from perfect. In Haiti the majority of children are given up due to poverty and the hope that their child will have a better life and opportunity somewhere else. I tell you, to look in the eyes of your child's birth mother and father is something amazing and sad at the same time. To see people who know nothing about you, the place you are taking their child and hoping all the while that you will give them what they cannot. It is an extremely humbling experience.
I would challenge UNICEF to look outside their ignorant small box and step inside of Haiti and see what they could do to help with the true problems....Restavek's (Child slavery), Child Prostitution, Sweat Shops...etc...and clean up that MESS before they try to fix International adoption.

Settling In

I spoke to Jeremy and Marcy and Tim and Beki today...they are all home and settling in well.
Blessings to them all and I KNOW they will have a Merry Christmas!

My next mission is getting Wendi to Haiti before Christmas.....I am going to do it if it kills me! Wendi and Her hubby Guy have been working on getting Rose Nancy home for about 3 years now...WAY TO LONG and it is about time Rose is home. Pray with me that she gets home for Christmas!

Almost Home

I have not spoken directly to Beki yet, but I have heard from her hubby Tim that she and Graci have made it to Dallas Ft. Worth en route to home! Trip was rough I think, alot of flight delays on the way home and some frustration at the Haitian airport....not that I've had ever heard of that before....but they are getting in about 12:35am....I am so glad they are on their way home for Christmas and cannot wait to talk to Beki about her trip, frustrations and happiness. What a feeling.

YES!!!!!

I have so much to be excited about. I have one family in Miami WITH their 2 girls...WELCOME HOME LOUNA AND HAYLEE...CONGRAT'S JEREMY AND MARCY!!!

Beki will be entering the US with her little one tomorrow...stay tuned for the announcement of her arrival as well. I have another family that will be traveling in the next week or two as well....YES...it has been about a 3 year battle for this family and MORE than time for Rose to come home.

Also, I have been attending a church for about 2 months now. I have never felt more welcome and at home in a church ever in my life. Montana Avenue Baptist is a wonderful place. Our Pastor, Geoff Williams and his wife Beth are amazing. Both have such a heart for missions. Beth was raised in South America until the age of 16 as a Missionary child and her and Geoff lived and served in Colombia for 7 years. Pastor Williams served as the Head of Church Missions in California as well, traveling anywhere from South America to Togo, Africa. When I even hinted at the hopes of finding a church willing to go to Haiti and see the children, help and minister they were both overjoyed with the thought of it!!! Usually you get the "oh, why would we go to Haiti?" Like it is the single most hell on earth place to go to and not worthy of their presence. I am so excited for the option to teach them about my dreams in life and how to help my adopted country and to have them teach me how to be a better Christian.

I THINK I AM FINALLY HOME!!!!!

I Saw What I Saw...

This is a Sara Groves song and video. This song touches me as it reminds me of my trips to Haiti, the way Haiti makes me feel and expresses my love for my Adopted Country.

Update on Things

So far the two families I have in Country are doing well. Visas are in hand!! Marcy leaves Haiti tomorrow afternoon and Beki leaves Thursday afternoon....both with their new children. I am so excited for them and happy that they have finally come to the end of their journey. I often laugh when the families have traveled. During the process they ask me over and over..."are you sure this is going to happen, are you SURE that I will get these kids home?!" I always encourage..."Yes, they will come home, it will happen...in good timing...God's timing." After travel the families finally see the hopes and dreams they have had for so long finally come to fruition and they finally agree "I knew they would come home...." RIGHT...hehehe

Our new church is going well. All the kids love it, and I finally feel like I am not AS lost in Bible Study as I was before. I Will be glad when January hits and they have a new members class to go to as opposed to the regular one....definitely help in the lost category a little more.

They are having choir tryouts and I am THINKING about trying out. I love to sing, sang in school and sing all the time. However, I am new to the church and I am shy to just get up and sing my heart out.....it could sound like a bad karaoke bar if I do...very frightening...hehe

The kids have all enjoyed the Sunday school and Children's church as well as AWANA's...they LOVE IT! I am so glad to find somewhere that everyone seems warm and friendly and accept the kids regardless of color. I even convinced Curtis to try it once....the church never caught fire..he may return again someday. :-P

The church is fairly small, I like that. The Pastor seems to be a real funny, easy going guy. This last Sunday he gave announcements. He said he had to add to the ones already in the bulletin and added the following:
"Fasting meeting to be held on Sunday Dec. 9. Snacks to be served.... "
"Choir tryouts are coming up. If you enjoy singing, please try out, these guys can use all the help they can get."
HEHEHE.....everyone was laughing.

The Church also seems to be fairly mission minded. The Pastor and his wife lived in Columbia for several years and preached at a church there. The church is fairly interested in the kids and what I do for a calling and I may be able to get some of the women involved in a mission trip to NLL sometime....here is to hoping and praying for that.

OK...off to bed. I need to get some sleep. I will try to post some photos of the kids decorating the Christmas tree. Every year we let the kids do it and we take photos. They LOVE to tell everyone THEY decorated it. Of course, some of the tree has 100 ornaments and the other part is bald but hey....it is a special tree. This year was Kai and Nikaya's first time decorating a tree and they had a blast. Kai was dressed in his Spider man Halloween costume and Nikaya had freedom hair and a Cheerleader costume from Halloween on....good times, good times!

A quick poem for you

This is from my Friend Pastor Rick. I love this guy...his thoughts are wonderful. Please enjoy!


From Pastor RickMyspace.com/ReachOutCenter
The following is based on real life events.
God is good... all the time.

You Will Have All You Need © 2001

I saw a little boy, he was cold and he was crying
I gave him the gloves my father gave to me
He looked up and stared, surprised someone cared
I told him don't worry, you will have all you need

I saw a little girl, she was hungry and she was crying
I gave her the lunch my mother packed for me
She looked up and stared, surprised someone cared
I told her don't worry, you will have all you need

I saw a young man, he was half naked and he was crying
I gave him some clothes I had just bought for me
He looked at me and stared, so grateful someone cared
I told him don't worry, you will have all you need

I saw a young woman, she was lonely and she was crying
I gave her a hug, like those given to me
She shook as she shared, surprised that I cared
I told her don't worry, she would have all that she needs

I saw an old man who fell, and he had been crying
I helped him up and bandaged his knee
He looked at me so scared, so tickled someone cared
I told him don't worry, he would have all he needs

There was an old woman, half blind, trembling and crying
I helped find her glasses so she could see
She looked through them with tears, as I comforted her fears
I told her don't worry, you will have all you need

Then I had a dream, I saw Jesus and He was crying
I asked if there was something I could do
He said thanks for showing you care, in my times of despair
And don't you worry, you will have all you need

But I said hey Jesus, when did I ever see you crying
Sick or half naked or begging for bread?
He said, you have blest me my son, unselfish things you have done
For what you've done unto these, you have done unto me
For what you've done unto these, you have done unto me.
What you've done unto these, you have done unto me.

Pastor RickMyspace.com/ReachOutCenter "You Will Have All You Need" © 2001

Another One Down!!!

Another family will be completed before the Holidays!

Marcy is traveling to Haiti (to leave tomorrow and arrive in Haiti Sunday) for a Visa visit of Monday December 3rd, 2007...once again at the lovely time of 7am.....

This makes my SECOND family to travel for this next week!!!

CONGRATULATIONS JEREMY, MARCY, AUSTIN, CHRISTIAN, KADEN.....WELCOME HOME LOUNA (GRACE) AND HAYLEE (HOPE)!!!!!

Lots of love to the newly completed families.....I LOVE YOU ALL!